I Want To Talk Cast/Actors: Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Jayant Kripalani, Johny Lever, Banita Sandhu & others
I Want To Talk Director: Shoojit Sircar
I Want To Talk Production Company: Rising Sun Films & Kino Works
I Want To Talk Release Date: 22nd November, 2024
I Want To Talk Available On: Theatrical Release and (likely to be released on Amazon Prime OTT Platform)
I Want To Talk Released/Available In Languages: Hindi
I Want To Talk Runtime: 2h 2m
I Want To Talk Critic Review:
When an Abhishek Bachchan starrer comes along, you’re assured that there will be something different and something endearing on offer. Whether it works or not.
With a repertoire that includes Vicky Donor and Piku, director Shoojit Sircar also stands for cinema with a difference. Again, whether it works or not.
The qualities associated with Bachchan and Sircar combine to tell the real-life tale of an unknown Arjun Sen, inspirational in its own way.
Arjun’s days are numbered, say the docs.
His surgeries can no longer be counted on his fingers.
He’s lost his roof to wife in a divorce settlement, his job to laryngeal cancer.
His legendary arrogance has been whittled down, he’s become a statistic. One of those that sum up your chances of survival as bleak.
He almost drives his Cadillac off the cliff, one evening.
After sending ‘thank you’ gifts to the caring few who’ve been around.
But Arjun Sen (Abhishek Bachchan), once the blue-eyed wonder boy of the marketing world, markets his persistence, sells the medical world a story of how to manipulate life itself and reverse a dire medical sentence.
Set in the US, writer Ritesh Shah generously sprays English all over the dialogues in a screenplay that’s more episodic than emotionally stirring. Arjun in every frame. Moments by himself. Moments with Dr Deb (Jayant Kripalani) where at one moment Arjun’s intruding into the doc’s Sunday lunch at a restaurant and the next time he’s inside the doc’s house where the medical man cooks for him and banters with him. You’re supposed to guess that the patient has warmed his way into his doc’s heart.
As a half-time dad to young Reya (Ahilya Bamroo) who alternates between the separated parents, there are more episodes. Arjun’s disapproval of her boyfriend who doesn’t bring his car along and wants Reya to drop him home. His grumble-grumble when he has to drive Reya to mom’s house twice one night to pick up shoes she needs early morning and forgot to bring with her. Reya’s outburst asking him if he understood what it’s like for her to alternate between two houses. An unuttered closeness between outspoken Reya and dying dad.
Moments when Arjun shows his pluck in wanting to do the marathon. Medicos hovering around at different moments in different guises – docs, nurses, caregivers.
It certainly is a differently narrated story of a man sure to die but takes his own time to get there, defying doctors’ predictions again and again, for years.
Abhishek Bachchan is comfortable as both the dad and the patient.
But it’s curious why Shoojit titled it I Want To Talk when the whole film is like a monologue by Arjun, every moment chronicled in Abhishek’s voice. He’s talking non-stop. You feel like asking, how many are listening?
I Want To Talk – Watch Or Not?: It’s an experimental film more tailored for OTT viewing than for a seat in a theatre.
I Want To Talk Review Score Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (i.e. 2.5/5)
I Want To Talk Official Trailer:
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